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Putting the "blah" in "blog" since 2010

Monthly Archives: December 2010

Over the last four months I have watched the all of the new Doctor Who serieses (seri? I don’t know what the plural of series is). If you have seen them, then you know how awesome they are. If you haven’t, then this is the next thing you need to watch them. I don’t mean you should put it on your to-watch list. I mean you should stop watching whatever it is you are watching, even if you are in the middle of another show, and only stopped to read my blog, and watch Doctor Who. Seriously. There won’t be a quiz this week on the blog, so you can stop reading and go watch Doctor Who. I won’t feel bad you didn’t finish my post.

So, you are still reading. That must mean you want more information on where to start. I recommend starting at the beginning (of the new series starting in 2005), although the first few episodes, while good for TV, are not really indicative of the brilliance that will follow. They are entertaining, but you probably won’t understand my enthusiasm until you get to The Empty Child, which is the first episode written by Steven Moffat in series 1 (a series is like a season, except British). Whenever you see his name during the opening credits, you are in for a treat. Doctor Who episodes are generally excellent, but Moffat’s are a step or two above the rest. They are wonderful blends of science fiction, horror, and humour. But Moffat is not the only brilliant writer, and the characters are so fun that even the less exciting episodes are enjoyable. Series 1 is excellent, but the others are better. The story is better if you watch it in order, so start with series 1.

“What is the show about?” you ask. If you haven’t asked that yet, feel free to do so now, for I will tell you, in a spoiler-free manner. The main character is a mysterious time traveller named the Doctor. (When he introduces himself, people sometimes ask “Doctor who?”, hence the show’s name). He travels around and has adventures in space, on other planets, and on earth in the present, future, and past. He usually has a human companion or two who travel with him. His time machine looks (from the outside) like an old-school British police phone box, due to a malfunction in the time machine’s self-disguising mechanism. The show is full of friendship, humour, adventure, and sometimes horror and tragedy. It is extremely well written and the stories are high quality science fiction. The doctor changes bodies sometimes (this happens, coincidentally, whenever an actor decides not to come back for another season). It’s like how James Bond is played by many actors, except the show actually explains why he looks different.

If you still aren’t convinced that you need to watch the show, then before watching from the beginning, watch one episode from the middle of season 3 called Blink. It stands well on its own so you can follow it once you’ve read the above paragraph. Watch it in the dark. Then go back and watch series 1.